Coupler centering device



De@ 29, 1936 l E. A. LAUGHLIN 2,055,009

COUPLER CENTERING DEVICE Original Filed Feb. 18, 1929 Patented Dec. 29,1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE COUPLER CENTERING DEVICE DelawareRefled for abandoned application Serial No. 340,850, February 18, 1929.This application February 26, 1936, Serial No. 65,849

6 Claims.

yThe, invention relates to improvements in coupler centering devices foruse on railway cars and has for its primary.v object the provision of animproved vconstruction of this character capable of economicalconstruction and highly efficient in use, the present invention being animprovement on the construction disclosed in a prior PatentNo..1,586,252, granted on May 25, 1926, for Coupler centering devices,and constituting the subject matter of abandoned application, Serial No.340,850, `iiled February 18, 1929.

`Another object of the invention is the provision of an improvedconstruction of this character soconstructed and arranged as to preventdisrupting of the same from any cause during use.

Other objects will'appear hereinafter. i: The invention consists in thecombinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described andclaimed.

lThe invention will be best understood by reference to the ,accompanyingdrawing Vforming a part hereof and in which Fig. 1 is a verticaltransverse section taken through the lower portion of a coupler stemsupport of 4a railway car and showing a coupler centering deviceembodying the invention in position of use;`

*.Fig. 2, a similar view of the centering device detached and showingthe parts in position for disengagement or re-engagement; and Fig. l3, asection taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Y

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawing,comprises a base 5 in the form of a flat bearing plate having a centralup-standing post 6 provided at its top with a T- head 'I. Arranged onthe base 5, on opposite sides of the post 6, are two rocker members 8having teeth 9 on their upper and lower bearing surfaces, said rockersbeing eccentric in form so as to exert alifting or elevating action whenrocked either away from the center, said rockers' being in allsubstantial and material respects the same as the corresponding rockersdisclosed in vmy said prior patent. The upper and lower bearing surfacesIU of said rockers 8 are each provided at their centers with a flat spotII, said flat spot having a tendency to maintain the parts in central`positions and causingv quick elevating action as the rockers departfrom central position in either direction, as will be readilyunderstood. The base 5 is provided with recesses I2 in the form ofopenings extending entirely through said base to receive and accommodatethe teeth 9 on the lower bearing surfaces of the rockers 8, therebymaintaining said rockers inproper cooperative relationship with saidbaseO during normal operations thereof.

A coupler carrying member I3 is supportedy upon the rockers 8, saidcarrying member I3 being; provided with a recess or pocket I4 adaptedand arranged to receive the coupler stem I5 and servev as a supporttherefor. A central shallow grease recess I 5 is also provided in theupper surface of the carrying member I3 for purposes of lubricationbetween said carrying member and said coupler stem. The carrying memberI3 is provided with recesses or pockets Il to receive and accommodatethe teeth 9 on the upper bearing surfaces of the rockers 8, therebyholding the carrying member in proper cooperative relationship with saidrockers during operation.

The carrying member I3 is provided at its central portion with twodepending flanges I8 embracing the upper portion of the post 6, and aT-slot I9 is provided in the under side of the carrying member I3 toreceive the T-head I on the post ii. As best Shown in Fig. 2, the uppersurfaces 2|! of the retaining ledges of the T-slot I9 `slope downwardlyboth ways from the center, thereby permitting elevation of the carryingmember I3 due to the eccentricity of the rockers 8 as they rock eitherway from central position. Openings 2| are also provided at each end ofthe slot I9, thereby providing for engagement with and disengagementfrom the T-head I'I, as indicated in Fig. 2, when the carrying member I3is rocked to extreme lateral position in either direction. By thisarrangement, the mounting for the coupler carrying member I3 may bereadily assembled or taken apart when removed from its normal supportbut cannot become disruptedA during use as long as the extreme lateralmovement indicated in Fig. 2 is prevented.

In actual use upon a railway car, the parts of the device abovedescribed are inserted in a channel Or` pocket 22 provided in across-piece 23 of an ordinary coupler supporting member 24, saidsupporting member 24 having a central opening for the passage andlateral swinging of the coupler stem I5, as indicated in Fig. l. Thelength of the channel 22 is such that upon lateral movement of thecarrying member I3 in either di-0 rection, the ends thereof strike theends of the channel before the extreme lateral movement in-l dicated inFig. 2 has been reached, so that, inV normal use of the device, it wimpossible to disengage or disrupt the parts as long as the couplersupporting member 24 remains intact. Obviously, however, the assembledparts of the device space centrally in the bottom of the pocket 22`which Will just accommodate the base-5 and thus insure properpositioning of the parts in said pocket. Dirt escape openings or Vslots21 arealso provided in the bottom 23 of the coupler support` 24 toregister with the openings I2 and thereby permit of ready escape ofdirt, cinders, or the like from the pocket 22.

It is to be noted that, owing to the eccentricity in shape of therockers 8 when the coupler stem I5 swings to either side of its normalcentral position during uncoupling oper-ations, the said stem Will beslightly elevated so that its weight and the Weight of the associatedparts will automatically return-said coupler stem to central positionupon release by the Vuncouplingaction. In this way, the coupler head onthe coupler stem will always be automatically maintained in centralcoupling position.

It is also to be noted that the carrying member is provided with lateralflanges, best shown in Fig. 3, which rest over and immediately adjacentthe top edges of the pocket 22 so that, When the parts become slightlyworn, these flanges rest upon said edges in central position but lifttherefrom during lateral movement. This relieves the rockers of wear tosome extent.

The construction disclosed provides al simpleV and efficient automaticcoupler centering device which is capable of economical manufacture, maybe readily assembled or taken apart as the exigencies of actual servicemay require, and which cannot become disrupted or disorganized in actualservice. The specific form and arrangement of parts constitutes a simpleand effective one for the purpose.

While I.have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying the inf vention into effect, this is capableofk modicationY and variation without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I therefore do not wish the patent to be limited to theprecise details disclosed but to include also such variations andmodications as fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a base; a central headedpost on said base; rocker members on said base on opposite sides of saidpost; and a coupler stem carrying member supported on said rockers,there being a T-slot in the under side of said carrying member toreceive the head of said post, adapted and arranged to preventdisengagement of said carrying member during normal operations of saidrockers but permitting disengagement and re-engagement upon extremelateral movement of said carrying member.

2. A device of the class described comprising a base; a central T-headedpost on said base; rocker members on said base on opposite sides of saidpost; a coupler stem carrying member supported on said rockers, therebeing a T-slot in the under side of said carrying member to receive thehead of said post, adapted and arranged to prevent disengagement of saidcarrying member during normal operations of said rockers but permittingdisengagement and re-engagement upon extreme lateral movement of saidcarrying member; and a support for said base adapted and arranged toprevent such disengaging lateral movement of said carrying member when'the device is in operative position thereon.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a base; a centralT-headed post on said base; eccentric rockermembers on said base onopposite sides of said post; a coupler stem carrying member supported onsaid rockers, there being a T-slot in the under sideof said carryingmember to receive the head of said post, the retaining ledges of saidslot sloping downwardly both ways from the center, adapted and arrangedto prevent disengagement of said carrying member during normaloperations of said carrying member but permittingdisengagement andre-engagement upon extreme lateral movement of said carrying member; andteeth on said rockers, there being recesses in said base and carryingmembern toreceive said teeth. l l

4. A device of the class described comprising a base; a central T-headedpost on said base; eccentric rockermembers von said base on oppositesides of said post; a couplerstem rcarrying meme` ber supported on saidrockers, there being a T-'slot in the under side of said carryingmember-to' receive the head of said post, the retaining ledges' of saidslot sloping downwardly both waysv from the center, adapted and arrangedto Vprevent 'dis'` engagement of said carrying member during normaloperations of said carryingmember but per-V mittingdisengageme'nt andre-engagement upon extreme lateral movement of said carrying mem:- ber;teeth on said rockers, there kbeing recesses in said base and carrying,Ymember to receive said teeth; and a support for `said base, adaptedandarranged to prevent such disengaginglateral movement of said carryingmember when the device is in operative position thereon.

5. A device of the class described comprising a support having a centralopening for the passage of a coupler stem, the lower portion of saidsupport being in the form of an open-top `channel; a base fitting intosaid channel, there being positioninglugsat the endsof said channelforcing said base into central position therein a central T-headed poston said base; eccentric rocker members on'said base on opposite sides ofsaid post; a couplerstem carrying member supported on said rockers andhaving dependinganges em-V bracing the upper portion of said post, therebeing a T-slot formed inthe under side of' said carrying member betweensaid flanges'to receive the head of said post, the retaining ledges ofysaid slot sloping'downwardly both ways from the cen` ter and adapted andarranged to 'prevent disen` gagement of said carrying member duringnor-` mal operations thereof but permitting disengagement andre-engagement upon extreme lateral movement of said carrying member;means on said support adapted and arranged to prevent extreme lateralVmovement of said carrying mem*- ber when the device is in operativeposition thereon;V and teeth on said rockers, there beingrecesses insaid base and carrying member to re` ceive said teeth.

6. A device of the classV described comprising a support having acentral opening forthe passage of a coupler stem, the lower portion ofsaid sup' port being in the form of an open top channel ;l

a base iitting into said channel, there being positioning lugs at theends of said channel forcing said base into central position therein; acentral ment of said carrying member; means on said support adapted andarranged to prevent extreme lateral movement of said carrying memberwhen the device is in operative position thereon; and teeth on saidrockers, there being recesses in said base and carrying member toreceive said teeth, the recesses in said base extending entirely throughthe same and there being registering openings in the bottom of saidchannel to permit the escape of dirt.

v BESSIE D. LAUGI-ILIN SPOOR, Formerly Bessie D. LaughlinAdministratrirc of the Estate of Elmyr A. Laughlin, Deceased.

